Take Your Dad to Work Day
by Wraith Ink-Slinger
Summary: The BAU takes on the case of someone in D.C. beating men to death and scattering their shattered hearts around them. Meanwhile, William Reid shows up and refuses to leave without clearing the air. Semi-Reid-Centric/Case-fic
1. Eat Your Heart Out

Take Your Dad to Work Day

A/N: Hello, everyone! Welcome to my very first attempt at a Criminal Minds case-fic! I hope I don't fail too horribly at this! I started writing this before the second half of this season, so Reid is still on a cane for part of the story… This is un-beta-ed, I apologize for any mistakes… Also, I have this all written out in advance, so you guys won't have unstable update times! Anyway, enough rambling; enjoy!

General Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure I'll only have to say this once: I do NOT own anything recognizable that may or may not be mentioned in the following chapters. For good reason.

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Chapter One: Eat Your Heart Out -_or-_ Why We Should Think These Things Through

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_Fathers should be neither seen nor heard. That's the only proper basis for family life._

_~Oscar Wilde_

---

William Reid looked around the busy office, feeling completely out of place. He really hadn't allowed himself to think about what he was doing until this point. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized that taking a week off from work and flying across the country to surprise his son at the FBI office in Quantico may have been an ill-conceived plan. But then, thinking ahead had never been his strong suit. It was too late now, anyway; he may as well find his son and get the initial shock over with now. "Excuse me," he called out to a passing agent, "Do you know where I could find Dr. Spencer Reid?"

The woman looked him up and down and then turned, pointing towards a group of desks. "His desk is over there, but he's not here yet. You can go over and wait if you'd like." She said politely.

"Ah- sure, thank you." William wandered in the direction of his son's desk.

None of the other desks were occupied either. It _was_ fairly early, he reasoned. However, if he remembered correctly, Spencer had always liked to be punctual, or even early. William leaned against the desk, fingering his visitor's pass nervously and glancing over the desktop. Though he fought the urge to snoop inside his son's desk, he reasoned that could hardly be blamed for looking at what was in plain sight.

The desk was neat- cluttered, but in an organized manner. There were two stacks of folders, probably case files, William assumed. One corner of the desk was taken up by books, which didn't surprise him the least. There were general items one would expect to find on the desk of a government employee: papers, stacked shelves, folders, writing utensils, paper clips; but something stood out to William on the far end of the desk. Two small, silver picture frames. One was a photo of Spencer with two men William recognized, and four people he did not. He assumed this was the rest of the BAU. The other photo was of Diana.

William smiled wistfully at the photo, reaching out to touch it but pulling his hand back at the last second. She looked so happy in the photo. She sat at a table with a book, but she looked at the camera. It looked as though she was laughing. It must have been Spencer who took that photo; he was the only one that could consistently make Diana laugh. However, William was pulled suddenly out of his reverie by an unexpected voice behind him. "Excuse me, can I help you with something?" The voice was all-too-familiar and William knew it was time for face his son.

However, as he turned around, he certainly wasn't prepared for what he saw. His son was leaning heavily on a _cane._ "Spencer, what happened?" William found himself blurting out.

His son's expression turned from one of shock to anger. "_What_ are you doing here?" He hissed, ignoring William's question.

"I- uh…" William found that he had suddenly forgotten everything he was going to say to Spencer. "Surprise?"

Spencer's eyes narrowed as he quickly closed the distance between himself and his father- much quicker than William though was entirely possible on a cane. Spencer dropped his bag on the floor and hooked cane of the arm of the chair, then turned away from William. "Come with me." He said quietly, heading for a door off to the side of the office.

William followed without a word, watching his son's ungainly walk with unease. However, hid didn't think health advice would be much appreciated right now. He entered an empty office and Spencer closed the door behind them.

---

Reid couldn't believe it. How dare his father just show up out of nowhere? Didn't he understand that Reid didn't want anything to do with him? Or just how much damage he had done by leaving? Reid dew in a breath, dropped his belongings by his desk and told his father to follow him. He did not want to lose his temper, but if he did, he didn't want to do it in the open.

He limped towards an empty office, ignoring the nagging pain in his leg; of all the days for the wound to act up… He shut the door after William and leaned against it. He glared in his father's direction and waited for the man to speak. "I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking, either…" William said finally.

When Reid didn't respond, William continued. "I- it didn't seem right to leave things the way we did in Vegas. I wanted a chance to explain… set things straight."

"You explained already." Reid said coldly.

"I also wanted to the chance to get to know you, and maybe spend some time with you." William said quietly, sure of what his son's answer would be.

"You had 18 years you could have spent with me, but you wasted them. I honestly don't care what you want. This time, I'm doing what I want, and what I want is to go back to work for you to go back to Las Vegas and leave me alone. Just like last time." Reid told him, the rage he had suppressed for so many years working its way into his voice.

William opened his mouth to speak, but Reid had already opened the door and was in the process of storming out, nearly knocking over Emily on the way out. Reid turned his attention to her, but when he realized who it was, his expression softened. "Sorry." He muttered before heading back to his desk.

Emily watched Reid go, bewildered. She had seen the young genius that angry only once before. She turned to the room he had just left and saw there was a man standing in there. He was tall and thin and looked to be about in his 50s. He looked incredibly familiar.

Shaking off the feeling that she knew the man standing, dumbstruck, in that room, she continued to her desk to put down her things and find out what was wrong with Reid. She found her young friend sitting at his desk, glaring down at a case file as though had personally insulted him. Glancing over at Morgan, who had arrived shortly before her, she found that her colleague was just as confused as she was. However, as the man from before ventured over to the desks, it seemed things were about to be cleared up.

Reid pointedly ignored William, but as soon as Morgan saw him, a look of surprise settled on his features. "Ah- Agent Morgan." William greeted the profiler quietly.

The tension in the room suddenly increased as Morgan's look turned to one of anger. Reid also looked angry but concentrated completely on the folder in front of him. Emily was still confused, she looked from Morgan to Reid to William, who she still couldn't identify, and back again. It seemed as though the tense silence would go on forever, but JJ suddenly broke in on the group. "We have a case, it's pretty bad and- am I interrupting something?" JJ asked, looking from person to person.

Reid abruptly stood up, snatched up his cane, and headed for the briefing room. JJ turned to watch him go before speaking when he was out of earshot. "What's up with Reid?"

Emily looked expectantly at Morgan, who seemed to know what was going on. After a moment, he spoke. "This," Morgan gestured towards William, still glaring. "Is William Reid."

With that announcement, Morgan left. JJ and Emily looked on William with surprise for a moment before they, too, left the bullpen. William watched them all disappear into the briefing room before slumping into Reid's desk chair. _That could have gone better…_

---

Hotch and Rossi were already positioned around the round table when Reid stalked in, looking incredibly pissed off. Exchanging glances with Rossi, Hotch opened his mouth to ask what was wrong when Morgan came in, also looking none-too-happy. He was followed closely by JJ and Emily, who didn't look very pleased either.

Morgan and Prentiss sat down at the table with Reid, Hotch and Rossi, and JJ took her place in front of the screen. Glancing around at his subordinate's faces and seeing a range of emotion from anger to disappointment, Hotch felt the need to speak up. "What happened?"

No one spoke for a long minute, but then Reid raised his hand and pointed down into the bullpen. Hotch and Rossi both turned to look and saw William sitting at Reid's desk. Hotch's eyebrows knit together in confusion, but Rossi nodded slightly in understanding. "William Reid."

Hotch's head snapped back in Reid's direction. He remembered the way Reid's judgment had become… _clouded_ the last time he had dealt with his father; not that Hotch really blamed him. "Are you going to be able to concentrate on the case?" He asked the younger man.

Reid nodded slightly, not meeting Hotch's gaze. "_Reid_." Hotch said more sharply.

"I'll be fine!" Reid snapped.

No one said anything, surprised by the young profiler's harsh tone. "I'm sorry. I'll be alright." Reid said more gently. "He'll leave soon, anyway."

After a moment, Hotch nodded and then looked over at JJ, prompting her to begin the briefing. However, before JJ had the chance to speak, Garcia came bustling in, laptop in her arms. "I am so sorry, my babies were giving me some trouble, but I've worked my magic on them and I assure you they are back in action and ready to track down our latest sicko." She said in a rush, sitting down at the table and opening her laptop.

JJ smiled a little at the tech before switching immediately into her briefing mode. "There have been three murders right here in D.C. The first took place two weeks ago and the second exactly one week later. The third was earlier this morning, which is when the head detective immediately put in for our help." JJ brought up two pictures on the screen.

The two men in the pictures looked very similar. They both had dark hair and dark eyes. They were both of lean build and wore glasses. They looked to be in their early 30s.

Pointing to the first picture, JJ began to explain. "The first victim, Marcus Whitman, was found beaten to death on a Friday morning in an ally in a bad neighborhood not far from here. The second victim, Daren Lorry, never came home last Thursday and was found dead the following morning about a block from the first murder. This morning's victim hasn't been identified yet, but he was found outside the emergency room of a small hospital near the other two dump sites."

"Emergency room?" Rossi asked, slightly confused. "A sign of remorse?"

"Ah- no, I don't think so. He was definitely dead when he was left there." JJ told them. "And there is evidence that, while the first victim was killed in the alley, the last two were killed somewhere else and left in the open."

"He keeps leaving bodies in higher risk places. He's evolving very quickly." Hotch observed.

"Was there any other connection between the murders besides appearance and cause of death?" Morgan asked.

"Two things… all the victims' hearts have been cut out, cut into pieces and left scattered around the victim." JJ put two different pictures up on the screen.

The pictures were of the first two victims, chests opened and bloody pieces of what must have been their own hearts around them. Garcia quickly looked away from the screen; it wasn't her job to look at things like that. Everyone else's eyes widened slightly. Reid recovered first, looking back at his teammates. "The heart is very symbolic. In most cases when the heart is taken, it's an indication of cannibalism or a ritualistic killing, but in this case, the heart was returned to the victim in pieces…"

"A definite indication of anger." Emily said.

"Perhaps symbolizing a broken heart?" Rossi suggested.

"What was the other connection?" Hotch asked JJ.

"A piece of paper was found stuffed in each of the victims' hands. _This_ is what they all said." JJ brought up a final picture of a wrinkled slip of paper with a message scrawled across it.

"Fathers should be neither seen nor heard. That's the only proper basis for family life." Reid read aloud. "That's Oscar Wilde."

Everyone glanced rather conspicuously at the young genius. The irony was not lost on them. Reid shifted uncomfortably before Hotch broke the awkward silence. "Okay, Morgan, Rossi, you two check out the first crime scene. Prentiss and Reid, you two take the second. JJ, you and I will meet up with the head detective at this morning's scene."

"I'll start digging through the lives of victims one and two and see if I can find any connections." Garcia chimed in.

"Good. Let's go." Hotch said, standing up from the table.

With their orders, the rest of the team stood up and headed out.

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A/N: And there it is. Chapter one! Hoorah! …Okay, there'll be more in a couple of days. Review if you'd like, it would make me very happy…


	2. The Crime Scenes Speak

Take Your Dad to Work Day

A/N: Hello, again! I should like to take this time to point out that I am completely unfamiliar with the D.C. area. I tried to be as general as possible so there wouldn't be too many geographical errors. I hope it doesn't distract too much from the story. Oh, and I completely made up Victoria Street.

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Chapter Two: The Crime Scenes Speak _–or-_ The D.C. Police Force Loves the BAU

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Rossi and Morgan arrived at the first crime scene, which was in an alley behind a local bar, shortly after the officer who had been sent to meet them. "You must be agents Rossi and Morgan, right?" The officer asked excitedly and continued on without waiting for an answer. "Great! I've worked in D.C. for a year and I've never met an FBI agent before. I'm officer Josef Burns; you can call me Joe, though, everyone does."

Both Morgan and Rossi shook the excited young officer's hand. He had a friendly face and demeanor, with a mass of short, unruly blonde hair under his cap. "Okay, through here is where the body was found. It was pretty gruesome. But I guess you guys are used to stuff like that." Joe handed the file he was holding to Rossi and led the two agents behind the old building. "Right here is where we found the body."

"We?" Morgan asked, glancing up from the folder he had been looking at over Rossi's shoulder.

"My partner and I were one of the first responders to the call." Joe replied. "It wasn't my first homicide, but it was definitely the bloodiest thing I've seen on the job."

"Cases like this are tough on everyone." Rossi gave the case file to Morgan and walked over to where Joe was standing. "Why don't you explain what happened."

"We got a call, about 7:30 in the morning, about a woman who found a dead guy in an alley. We were a block away and we made it there first. The woman that found him owns this bar. She came out for a cigarette and found the guy. He was sprawled out here," Joe pointed to a section of asphalt. "with that piece of paper in his hand and his chest opened up with- uh, his heart all over the ground…"

Both agents noticed the young officer shudder slightly but didn't say a word; you never got used to gruesome sights like that. They definitely didn't envy Hotch and JJ at the fresh crime scene.

"This spot here, this must be where he cut up the heart." Morgan said, gesturing to a picture in the folder.

"So, this first murder took place on-site, but not the last two. What made him change?" Rossi wondered.

"Maybe he almost got caught. T.O.D. was about midnight. Not too late for people to be out." Morgan suggested.

"Maybe." Rossi conceded, then turned to Joe. "We'd like to speak with the woman who found the body; the bar owner."

Joe, who had been listening to Rossi and Morgan's process in wonder, snapped back into action. "Of course, she said she'd be in this morning. We'll go back around front." Joe led the way back around the front of the weathered building and knocked on the door.

It opened almost immediately to reveal a woman in her mid-forties. She was short but sturdily built, with dark brown hair pulled back in a clip. She had a stern look on her face, but her eyes betrayed her kindness. "Hello, Joe. How nice to see you again, considering this time you're not taking over my bar." The owner teased, smiling at the young officer, obviously having developed some kind of rapport with him during the investigation. "And I see you brought some friends."

"Agents David Rossi and Derek Morgan." Rossi introduced himself and Morgan. "We want to ask you a few questions about the murder that took place behind your bar."

"Mary Borden." The woman introduced herself. "Well, don't just stand there, c'mon in."

Rossi, Morgan and Joe followed Mary as she wound her way around the tables and up to the bar. "Can I get you boys something to drink while we talk?" She asked, leaning over the bar.

"We're on duty, Mary." Joe reminded her.

"I know that, you ditz, I've served enough uniforms to know you can't have alcohol on the job." Mary chided the young officer.

"We're fine, but thanks." Morgan told her. "Could you tell us about the morning you found Marcus Whitman behind your bar?"

"There's not much to tell. I came in early that morning to do some cleanup around here. After half an hour, I went out back for a cigarette and there he was, beaten and bloody. I'll never forget that. You don't forget something like that…" Mary trailed off slightly.

"Why did you come in early that morning?" Rossi asked.

"I was restless. Had a sleepless night. Not that the sight of that man has done much for my sleep since then."

"Was there any reason he would have been out there?" Morgan asked her, leaning on the bar as well.

"Well, he had been in the bar that night. When some of the customers get too drunk or rowdy, I have the bar tender send 'em out back to get their heads clear."

"Did the bar tender send anyone else out there that night?" Morgan asked.

"I don't know. I was in back most of the night. She didn't mention anyone, though."

"Who was the bar tender that night?" Rossi spoke this time.

"Tanner Reeves. I can get you her info if you like."

"We would appreciate that." Rossi told her.

Mary disappeared into a door behind the bar and emerged a minute later with a sheet of paper in her hand. "Here's her contact information. You boys need anything else?" She asked them, leaning on the bar once more.

"No, ma'am, thank you for your time." Morgan said, heading for the door with Joe and Rossi.

"Any time, handsome." Mary winked at them as they headed out the door.

"She's nice." Rossi said, glancing down at the paper in his hand.

Morgan smirked and Joe chuckled slightly. "Well, unless you guys need anything else, I guess I'll let you get back to your investigation." Joe said, giving them a slight wave as he headed back to his cruiser, reminding both agents a little of their resident genius.

"Thanks, Joe." Morgan called as he and Rossi got into their SUV and headed back for headquarters.

---

Meanwhile, as Morgan and Rossi were introducing themselves to Joe, Prentiss and Reid were pulling into a parking space across the street from the second crime scene a few blocks away.

Pulling the keys out of the ignition, Emily glanced over at Reid. He had been silent for the entire drive. He was obviously in a bad mood, but she knew that after his rough patch with the drugs, he tried never to take his anger out on anyone, especially not her. However, all thoughts of Reid were pushed out of Emily's head as they got out of the SUV and greeted the officer who had been sent to meet them. "You the two FBI agents?" The woman asked brusquely.

She was quite pretty, with red hair pulled back into a ponytail and warm brown eyes. She was about Emily's height and had a brisk, straight-forward demeanor. "Yes, I'm SSA Emily Prentiss, and this is Dr. Spencer Reid."

"Sheila Dobbs." The officer introduced herself, then turned to Reid. "You're not an FBI agent?"

"No, I am." Reid assured her.

"But she said…"

"Supervisory special agent Dr. Spencer Reid." Reid cut her off, beginning to blush.

Dobbs' eyebrows went up; she looked impressed. "So, you went to medical school?"

"Ah, no, they're- uh, PhDs… three of them." Reid's face had turned almost completely red by this point.

Dobbs looked about ready to fire another round of questions when Emily stepped in. "Uh- perhaps you'd like to show us the crime scene?"

"Oh! Of, course." Dobbs' brisk manner returned as she did her best to hide her own blush.

She handed the case file to Emily and crossed the street with the two agents in tow. "The body was left right here." She gestured to a spot on the sidewalk directly in front of an ATM.

"He moved the body in front of a camera? That's a huge leap from leaving him in an alley." Emily said.

"He may have wanted more attention. The notes, cutting the heart out- these extra steps are a cry for attention." Reid turned his attention to Dobbs. "Did you find anything out from the ATM security footage?"

"No, but I can get the video for you anyway. We might've missed something."

"Don't worry, our tech will be able to get it much faster." Emily assured the officer as Reid pulled out his phone and pressed the button that would summon Garcia.

"Welcome to the Fountain of Knowledge. Slake your thirst, young explorer." Garcia's chipper greeting came over the phone.

"Hey, Garcia, can you get the footage from a security camera over an ATM on Victoria Street from last Friday morning?" Reid asked, already sure of the answer.

"You betcha, sweet thing, give me… two… seconds…" Reid could hear keys tapping furiously as he waited. "Got it!"

Instead of pointing out that that had taken more than two seconds, Reid hit the speaker button and held the phone out so Emily could hear as well. "What time are we looking at, specifically?" Garcia's voice came over the phone.

Reid's eyes flew over the report which he had traded to Emily for his cell phone before his answer came. "Around 7 AM."

"Okay… wow. This sicko dragged the body right in to view. He's hunched over so you can't see his face or really get a good estimate of his height and- oh, my God."

"What's wrong?" Emily asked worriedly.

Both agents could hear a click as Garcia must have paused the video. "He was scattering bits of _heart_ around the body." The tech sounded thoroughly disgusted.

Reid grimaced. "Sorry, Garcia, I…"

"No, worries, doctor, just make sure you catch this freak." Garcia cut Reid off mid-apology. "Is that all for now?"

"Yeah, that's it. Thanks." Reid told her.

"Oh! I almost forgot, did you know you had a visitor lurking around your desk, Reid?" Garcia asked as Emily was about to end the call.

Reid frowned, his eyes darkening. "Just ignore him, Garcia, he'll go away." His voice became cold.

Before Garcia or Emily had the chance to respond, the young genius left to ask Dobbs a few more questions. "Oookay… that _sounded_ like Reid, but that certainly couldn't have been the sweet genius we know." Garcia said.

Emily took the phone off speaker mode and put it to her ear. "Garcia, that's William Reid."

"William Reid- like…"

"Reid's dad, yeah."

"Oh."

"Yeah… you ever get the feeling that this is going to be a long case?" Emily asked the tech, eyeing her partner warily.

---

JJ and Hotch pulled up in front of the small hospital's emergency room entrance, a few blocks from the previous scenes, which was the center of activity. Investigators milled around, in and out of the crime scene tape barrier and around several doctors and nurses. As they approached the scene, a harried-looking man in his early thirties with dark hair and shining blue eyes jogged over to greet them. "Hello, I'm detective Paul Hart. You're from the BAU, right?"

"Yes, detective Hart, I'm Agent Jareau. We spoke earlier this morning." JJ took the detective's outstretched hand. "This is our unit chief, Aaron Hotchner."

"Good to meet you, though maybe not under the circumstances. But I'm glad you're here. This guy has a million patterns and they all lead to dead ends. I'm stumped."

"What have you got so far?" Hotch asked.

"A lot of loose ends," Hart sighed. "At about 8:00 this morning, someone finally noticed this guy out here and called us. It's the same MO. Beaten to death, opened up with bold cutters, heart scattered around him. No one saw anything, he didn't leave any forensic evidence; we don't even know where he got the bolt cutters."

"Have you IDed the victim?" Hotch wondered, looking in the direction of the body.

"Yeah- uh…" Hart motioned for a man standing on the sidelines to come over.

The man hurried to him and stood attentively. "What was the victim's name?"

The man produced a brown leather wallet in his gloved hands and opened up to reveal an ID. "Michael Parks."

Hotch nodded and walked over the body of Michael Parks. "The pieces of heart appear to have been distributed at random… was there a note this time?" He directed this question to the coroner who was still kneeling by the body.

"Mhm. Same as the last two times." The short woman in her 50s with short, graying hair handed Hotch a slip of paper.

It was crumpled up lined paper, written in black ink, the same as the other two. It was obvious these murders had been planned for a while in advance, which wasn't good. When and unsub spent so much time fantasizing about the murder, it never measured up to their expectation. "Excuse me," Hotch's train of thought was interrupted by JJ's conversation with detective Hart. "We were planning on working out of FBI headquarters and we were wondering if we might be able to get access to all you information on the case."

"Be my guest. Between you and me," Hart lowered his voice conspiratorially, "I'm glad this is out of my hands. We're getting nowhere fast."

JJ smiled at the worried man reassuringly. "We're happy to help. However, we'll still need your cooperation on the case."

"Sure, whatever you need. I can arrange for one of the officers to start collecting all the information now if you're ready."

"Hotch?" JJ turned to get the senior agent's opinion.

"Let's go." Hotch stood and began to strip off his gloves.

He and JJ shook the detective's hand once more, thanked him for his help, and headed for the D.C. PD, leaving him with their reassurances that this would work out.

---

A/N: Goodness, that was a good deal longer than I intended… ah well. Hope I didn't bore you guys to death- I promise there'll be more of the back plot next chapter.

Thanks so much to all who added this to their alerts and favorites, and thank you to charming2drew, Nymphadora-CullenBAU, and slery for your reviews!


	3. Let the Investigating Begin

Take Your Dad to Work Day

A/N: Hello, everyone! Er… Enjoy!

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Chapter 3: Let the Investigating Begin _-or- _William's Impossible Mission

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Morgan and Rossi were the first ones to arrive back and the office. Both were wrapped in up in thoughts on the case as they approached the bullpen area, they almost didn't notice William. He was still waiting at Reid's desk and they nearly mistook him for their young coworker until he spoke. "Agent Rossi, Agent Morgan. It's good to see you- especially since I'm not under investigation for a murder." William sounded as though he was trying to be amiable.

Morgan glared over at the man. During his time in law enforcement, he had seen many parents who had willingly given up their children for selfish reasons; it had always angered him, considering the death of his own father. He had felt bad enough when his father had left him involuntarily, he couldn't imagine how it would have felt to know one of his parents had left him of their own accord. This anger only intensified in the face of the man who had hurt one of his best friends. However, rather than voicing his thoughts, Morgan nodded slightly and brushed past William and into Garcia's office.

Rossi, always better at maintaining his emotions, remained where he was. The least he could do was be civil, regardless of what he felt towards his colleague's father. "I, uh, apologize for dropping in on your team like this… I didn't know I would cause problems." William apologized quietly.

"You have to understand that we just received a case; we'll all be somewhat… high-strung." Rossi explained.

"Oh, of course." William looked a little relieved.

Rossi moved to head for his office, but paused for a moment. "And then, you have to consider the effect you have on your son." He said, his tone still polite. "Your presence here seems to be upsetting to him and as the team is very close-knit, I think it's safe to say that the rest of us may be feeling that as well."

Okay, so he could be snippy and still remain civil. Rossi headed up to his office without another word, leaving William at Reid's desk.

---

Garcia looked up as Morgan stalked into her office, reminding her of a wet cat. "Hey, Hot Stuff, what's got your panties in a bunch?" She chirped, watching the profiler drop into a chair beside her.

He sent a sidelong glare at her, before he sighed and let his head drop. Something about the cheerful tech always took the anger right out of him. "I guess Reid's dad appearing out of nowhere caught me off guard."

Garcia nodded knowingly. "Baby, I know it always upsets you to see when parents leave their kids, but I think in this case we should be focusing more on how Reid is feeling." She told him. "You were there, you saw how he acted on that case in Vegas."

Morgan looked up at her and almost smiled at her cut-and-dry way of pulling him out of his bad mood. "The kid seems pretty upset. Can't say I blame him…"

"No, neither can I. I can't imagine why this guy just came here out of the blue, I mean, it lacks common sense. You can't just drop in on someone like that and expect them to be okay with it." Garcia said, casting a glance towards the door of her office.

"Says the woman who looks up her teammates' addresses and drops in on them when she thinks they need cheering up." Morgan smirked at her.

"Hey, when _I_ do it, it's nice! And besides that, you'll all have seen me in the past 24 hours, not for the first time in 20 years."

"This is actually the second time in 20 years." Morgan pointed out.

"Whatever. Anyway, we'll just have to resolve to keep an eye on our dear genius, because we have a case to crack." Garcia settled the matter and turned back to her numerous computer screens. "I got the information on all our victims, including this morning's: Michael Parks."

"Okay, so what've you got, Mama?" Morgan asked, also turning towards the screens.

"Victim number one, Marcus Whitman, has no family in the area, but his sister came in from her home in Connecticut to claim his body. Both parents are dead, no extended family to speak of, just his sister and her husband. The guy didn't get out much, he worked a 9 to 5 at an office, lived in an apartment, shopped for groceries and that was about it. The night he died was the first time he set foot in that bar. It was out of his way, not near his home or his place of business.

"Victim number two, Darren Lorry, is a different story altogether. He had a house where he lived with his wife and two kids, his parents and two brothers all live in the DC area. He was actively involved in a youth center in the area of town his body was found in. He also worked a 9 to 5 office job, but he worked for a different corporation.

"And last, but certainly not least, victim number three, Michael Parks. Married with no kids, parents don't live in the area, no siblings. He was a car salesman and frequented a bar near the hospital where his body was found." Garcia finished, turning back to face Morgan.

"So, we have three victims with no big connections other than their looks…"

"Sorry, Superfox, that's all I've got for now, but I'll work my magic and perhaps some connections will begin to appear." Garcia wiggled her fingers.

"Thanks, Baby Girl." Morgan favored her with a quick peck on the cheek and left for the conference room.

---

Mere minutes after Morgan had left Garcia's office and headed up to the conference room, Emily and Reid returned from the second dump site. William stood up and meant to walk over to his son when he saw him, but Reid veered off and headed straight for the conference room, pointedly ignoring his father. William moved as if to follow, but Emily blocked his path. "Mr. Reid, I'm sorry, but this isn't the best time for you to be speaking with your son."

"Please, I just want a few minutes and then I'll go. I've been waiting all morning." William told her.

"We just received a case and we can't afford to have any distractions at the moment. When it's all over, it'll be up to Rei- Spencer if he wants to talk to you, but right now, I think it would be best if you left."

"I'm sorry, Agent…"

"Prentiss." Emily supplied.

"Agent Prentiss, I'm sorry, but unless you force me out, I'm not leaving until I get to talk to him. I've waited far too long to do this."

Emily stared into William's eyes, eyes which so resembled her friend's, and saw the desperation hidden deep within. They both knew that unless William managed to corner Reid at work, he probably wouldn't ever get to talk to him. "I can't allow you to interfere with our investigation or distract any of the agents, but if you stay out of the way, you won't be made to leave." Emily told him, her tone almost cold.

William relaxed slightly, releasing a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and returned to his son's desk. Emily turned and went up the conference room, leaving him to wait.

---

Before long, Hotch and JJ returned to the office with all the files pertaining to the case and brought them into the conference room, meeting Rossi, Morgan, Reid, and Emily in there. "Okay, what do we know so far?" Hotch asked.

"The victims weren't connected in any way other than appearance. The last two had a connection with the neighborhood where the bodies are being dumped, but as far as we know, it was the first time Whitman had set food in that area and we don't know why." Morgan told him.

"The first murder wasn't quite as well planned out as the last two, and it took place right there behind the bar. Apparently, Whitman was back there to clear his head. We got the name and address of the bar tender from that night. She might have more information." Rossi said.

"The second murder was much better executed; the unsub had a feel for the routine by then. This victim was abducted, killed somewhere else, and dumped in higher risk area; in front of a camera." Emily put in.

"He probably felt as though he wasn't getting enough recognition," Reid added. "And even though he's crying out for attention, he's not making any mistakes. There was no way to identify him off of the security footage."

"We can probably assume the same goes for the footage outside the hospital, but Garcia's checking it out anyway." JJ told them.

"This third victim was also abducted and killed somewhere else, then dumped in front of the hospital emergency room. The unsub is escalating quickly, dumping bodies in higher and higher risk areas." Hotch reasoned.

"The lack of defensive wounds suggests the victims were all unconscious when the beatings took place. None of them were out of shape, so that may have been the only way for the victim to overpower them." Reid, who had begun to look through autopsy reports, observed.

"The unsub wanted them helpless. There is an obvious element of rage in these murders." Rossi said.

"We can't forget the connection to fathers, the victims may represent a paternal figure in the unsub's mind." Morgan added.

"If the unsub is fulfilling a fantasy, they're not going to stop any time soon. Unless they begin to devolve we have a week until the next murder. Reid, start working the geographical profile. JJ, Morgan, go speak with Parks' family; Prentiss and Rossi, go have a talk with the bartender from the first night." Hotch handed out orders quickly, standing up as the rest of the team did the same.

---

From below, William watched as the BAU team converged, spoke for mere minutes, and then dispersed once more, each seeming to have a set purpose in mind. For a moment, pride swelled in his chest that his son was part of a team such as this. However, he pushed the pride back down. He really had no right to be proud of the way Spencer had turned out; after all, he hadn't had a hand in it. But he was here to change all that.

---

A/N: Wow, three chapters already! I know that doesn't seem like much, but it's an accomplishment for me… anyhow, I hope you're all enjoying it so far!

Thank you to everyone who has added this to their favorites and alerts, and thanks to xXDemonic-AngelicXx, charming2drew, Nymphadora-CullenBAU, and The wife of Dr. Spencer Reid for your reviews and a special thank you to FoxPhile for your kind message and to nokkibind for adding this story to your community. Thank you, everyone!


	4. 20 Minutes to Shatter a World

Take Your Dad to Work Day

A/N: Hello, everyone! It's chapter 4 time! Hooray?...!

---

Chapter 4: 20 Minutes to Shatter a World _-or-_ William is Officially Shut Out

Emily pressed the doorbell of apartment C6, the current residence of bartender Tanner Reeves. After a minute or so, the door opened to reveal a fraction of a woman peeking around the door, which was still chained shut. "Tanner Reeves?" Emily asked.

"Yes."

"I'm SSA Emily Prentiss and this is SSA David Rossi. We're with the FBI." Both Emily and Rossi held their badges up to the door.

Eyeing the badges carefully, Tanner shut the door, slid the chain out of place and opened the door fully, allowing the two profilers inside. "Are you here about the man behind the bar?" She asked.

"Yes, we heard you were the bartender the night he died." Rossi told her, watching the young woman wrap her arms around her midsection self-consciously.

Tanner, a pretty young woman in her mid-twenties with short brown hair and wide green eyes, shivered slightly in her sweatshirt and jeans. Though her small apartment was chilly, her shiver had less to do with the temperature and more to do with the memory of the dead man behind her work place. "Yeah, I was working that night. I know it's not my fault, I couldn't have known what was going to happen, I didn't kill him…" She said with an air of someone who had heard these things repeated recently. "But I still feel guilty."

"Why? What happened?" Emily asked.

"I gave the police my statement already. I don't think I'll be much help beyond that." Tanner said, shaking her head.

"We might ask you something the police didn't, or you might remember something you didn't before. We're just being thorough. Here, why don't we sit down and you can walk us through everything that happened that night." Emily said, guiding Tanner to the faded couch and sitting down with her. "It might help you to focus if you shut your eyes."

Tanner obediently shut her eyes and began to recount the night from two weeks ago. "The guy wasn't a regular, and he showed up on a Thursday, so he probably had something to forget. Most people don't show up and drink that much on a week night."

"He had a lot to drink?" Emily asked.

"Oh, yeah. He ordered a beer and told me to keep them coming. After a while, though, he started getting pretty riled up. He almost got into a fight with another guy there. So I gave him a bottle of water and sent him out back to clear his head. That alley is where Mary tells us to stash the guys that get violent until they cool down. We usually go back out and check on them after 10 or 15 minutes, but a big group came in right after and it just- slipped my mind." The young woman lowered her head guiltily.

Emily placed a reassuring hand on Tanner's arm as Rossi prompted her to continue. "Did you send anyone else out there that night?"

Eyes still closed, Tanner's eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "No, but…" Suddenly, her eyes snapped open. "There was another guy in that alley!"

"Can you describe him?" Rossi asked.

"He… was standing kind of in the shadows, but I might be able to."

"Did he do anything?" Emily asked.

Tanner shook her head. "No, he was just standing there. Before I realized it was too late for anyone to be working, and that he was way too young, I thought he was a part of the construction crew working in the building next door because he was carrying bolt cutters…"

Emily and Rossi exchanged a quick look. "Would you be willing to come with us and see a sketch artist?" Rossi asked.

The young woman nodded and stood up. "I'll do the best I can." She told them determinedly.

---

"So, what's the wife's name again?" Morgan asked JJ as he turned down another road.

"Denise Parks." JJ answered from the passenger's seat.

The SUV was silent for a little while longer before JJ sighed pointedly. "I know that sigh." Morgan told her, a small, knowing smile gracing his lips. "Is this about telling the victim's wife she won't see her husband again, or is it about something else?"

"Of course I'm not happy about notifying the family. Who would be?" JJ snapped.

"Okay, okay, no need to bite my head off. I was just wondering if this has anything to do with our boy-genius."

JJ paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts. "He didn't have any right just showing up like that." She said finally.

"Reid's dad?" Morgan asked, already knowing who JJ meant.

"He should've at least given him some warning or asked if he could come or _something_. Reid doesn't need surprises like that."

"Reid's tough, he'll be okay." Morgan said, not sure who he was trying to reassure.

"I vaguely recall saying the same thing after Georgia." JJ answered coldly.

Morgan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "This is different." He answered finally.

"He needs to know that we're there for him this time."

"He does."

They drove on in silence, but as they pulled up in front of the apartment building they were looking for, Morgan could see JJ's professional demeanor slip back into place.

They approached the apartment the victim had shared with his wife, putting their best neutral faces on. JJ reached out to ring the bell and they waited for the inevitable moment when they would have to shatter the world of the person answering the door. Before too long and after not nearly long enough, a woman opened the door.

She was in her late twenties, a little younger than her late husband. She had long, sandy blonde hair that was pulled back into a low ponytail and she wore a white blouse over jeans. "Can I help you?" She asked as she peered curiously at them through thin-rimmed glasses.

"Mrs. Parks?" JJ paused as Denise nodded. "I'm agent Jennifer Jareau and this is Agent Derek Morgan; we're with the FBI."

Denis Parks' expression changed from one of polite interest to confusion before her polite smile snapped back into place. "What can I do for the FBI?" She asked, ever-polite.

"May we come in?" JJ asked, as polite as Denise.

"Oh- of course." The woman stood aside and waved JJ and Morgan into the spacious apartment.

Denise led them into a warm living room and sat down on one of the white cloth couches. "Would you like to sit down?" She asked, patting the expanse of couch next to her invitingly.

JJ took a seat and turned to face the woman before her. "Mrs. Parks, I'm afraid I have some bad news regarding your husband."

The well-honed look of calm shattered and was quickly replaced with worry and fear. "Michael? What happened? What's wrong?" She asked, her voice rising a little.

"I'm afraid he's been murdered." JJ said gently.

Denise simply stared at her, wide-eyed yet somehow expressionless at the same time. She stared at JJ for nearly a full minute. "Oh." Was the only sound that escaped her lips before tears began to slip down her cheeks, unbidden.

JJ placed what she could only hope was a comforting hand on the woman's upper arm, stroking it slightly. After a minute or two longer Denise spoke again. "W-why is the FBI working on this? Isn't it something the police would usually t-take?" Her voice shook ever so slightly.

"We believe your husband is the latest victim of a serial killer we are pursuing." Morgan said quietly, speaking up for the first time.

Denise turned her wide eyes on Morgan and he had to work to keep from flinching away from them. She did not seem at all pleased with his presence at that moment and for a second, he wished that Reid had been able to come instead; the younger man looked for less imposing than he did. "Why would a serial killer go after Michael?" She asked sharply.

"We were hoping you may have been able to shed some light on that fact. Was there anyone Michael mentioned had been watching him? Did he say anything about being threatened by someone or approached by someone he didn't know?" JJ asked, drawing Denise's attention back to her.

"No, nothing like that. Michael didn't have a reason to worry about things like that; he was a nice person. Most people liked him a lot." The woman answered.

"Most people?"

"No one _disliked_ him per se, they either liked him or didn't really care either way. There was not a single person I could think of that would do something like this…"

"Can you think of a reason he would have been in the bad part of town that he was last night?"

"He- he lost a pretty good sale yesterday… he goes to a place called "Murphy's" to cool his head."

Morgan nodded, remembering Garcia's words about Parks frequenting a bar in the area. "Was it unusual for him to stay out all night?" He asked.

Denise nodded, pursing her lips. "He usually comes home for lunch though- if he didn't, I was going to call and… find out where he was…" She trailed off.

"Is there anyone you can call or stay with for a little while?" JJ asked her gently.

"I can call my friend…"

"Thank you for your time. We're very sorry for your loss." JJ said, standing up and leaving the apartment with Morgan.

Morgan sighed as they got back into the SUV. It never seemed right that you could break someone's life so thoroughly in less than 20 minutes. They drove back to headquarters in silence.

---

Hotch got up and left the conference room to meet Emily and Rossi, who had just returned with a young woman. They looked up as he came down the stairs, guessing what he wanted to know though his expression was as unreadable as ever. "This is Tanner Reeves, the bartender from the night of the first murder." Emily told him as he came to a stop before the small group.

"She saw a possible suspect in the ally; she's going to sit with a sketch artist." Rossi put in.

"I'll do my best, at least." Tanner added meekly.

Hotch nodded and allowed them to continue on their mission as he returned to the conference room. He had been working on victimology, but could only get so far with his own ideas until another member of the team returned or Reid finished the geographical profile. As he entered the room, he saw his young colleague still bent over a map, staring down at it intently and drawing a line across it. "How's it coming?" He asked the younger agent as he sat down across from him at the round table.

"Almost done, I think. It would help to know exactly where the last two victims were abducted from, but we still have a definite comfort zone." Reid gestured to the markers signifying dump sites and one murder site, which were all clustered in the same area. "Considering the victims were all taken and dumped on a schedule, I think it's safe to say the unsub has a place in this area."

"Do you think he lives or works in the area?" Hotch asked, looking down at the map.

After a few moments, when Reid didn't respond, Hotch looked up and saw the agent staring down at the bullpen, where William was pacing. "_Reid_." Hotch called Reid's attention back. "Do I need to have him taken off the premises?"

Reid shook his head, as much to clear it as to negate Hotch's offer. "I'm fine." He insisted, then continued with a slightly colder voice. "He'll leave soon anyway."

Hotch watched Reid carefully before he nodded. He could understand where the young agent was coming from- he wanted to outlast his father on this one and he didn't want to admit that the man's presence was a bother. "I think the unsub lived the in the area at one point, if they don't live there now. They almost certainly work somewhere nearby." Reid told him, bringing the conversation back to Hotch's question.

"I agree." Hotch told him, nodding and looking down at the map again.

Before their discussion could continue, JJ and Morgan returned, looking a little more depressed than when they had left- an effect of having to notify a victim's family. As Reid was about to update them on his work with the geographic profile, Rossi and Emily entered the room, Emily carrying a piece of paper. "This is the man Tanner Reeves says she saw in the ally." She told them, holding up the sketch.

He looked fairly young, no more than twenty five, with dark eyes and short, dark hair. He was clean-shaven and wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt. "A little vague, but it's definitely something to go on." Rossi said, glancing from the sketch to the team.

The team converged around the table once more, filling each other in on the conclusions they had come to. They decided to hit a local diner for a quick lunch before doing a little more leg work.

They filed out of the round table room and headed for the elevator. Garcia noticed them leaving, and came out of her office to meet them. As they headed past the bullpen, William looked up hopefully and stood. "Spencer." He called out, attempting to approach his son.

However, it seemed the team had other ideas as they almost unconsciously closed ranks around their youngest member. Morgan walked on one side of Reid and JJ took the other, Garcia walked just behind them, talking to JJ. Prentiss and Rossi were at the rear of the small group, discussing the sketch, and Hotch walked at the front. William shook his head, watching the retreating group of profilers. _Rossi wasn't kidding when he said they were close…_ talking to Spencer was going to be more difficult than he thought.

---

A/N: Geeze, I'm gonna bore you all to death. But, we're officially almost half-way through the story! Oh, and I guess I kinda fudged the time on the sketch… ah,well. Review if you'd like, it would make me quite happy. Thanks!

Thank you to all who added this to their favorites and alerts, and thanks to FotoDi, charming2drew, and Nymphadora-CullenBAU for your reviews! You guys make me smile.


	5. Connecting the Psychological Dots

Take Your Dad to Work Day

A/N: Hello again! Wow, on to chapter five already! Hope you guys are enjoying it so far! On with the show…

---

Chapter 5: Connecting Psychological Dots _-or-_ Garcia Rids Reid of a Problem

The members of BAU took up various positions around the briefing room, each lost in thought about the case. JJ had just gotten off the phone with the fist victim's family. Like the second and third victim's families, Marcus Whitman's sister had afforded little useful information about the case. Hotch and Emily had gone to the homeless shelter where the second victim, Darren Lorry, had volunteered, armed with the sketch of their unsub that Tanner Reeves had supplied. Some of the volunteers realized they had seen the young man in the picture there the night Lorry had been murdered. However, no one had been able to give a name to go with the face; he had simply been standing around outside the shelter. Morgan and Rossi had gone to Murphy's and while the bartender remember tossing the young man on the poster out of the bar the previous night, thinking he was too young to be in there, he did not have a name either.

It was getting late in the day and everyone felt as though there was some important clue dancing right in front of them just out of their reach. Emily, who had been examining the pictures and clues tacked up on the board, broke the contemplative silence. "We have a connection to the last two victims, but not the first. According to the bartender, he was waiting for Whitman in the ally. He knew he would be there, but we don't know how."

"He knows at least a little about his victim's schedule. They all had a connection to the unsub's comfort zone. He may have seen him around there." Morgan put forth.

"But Whitman never had a reason to be in that area of town. It was the first time he had set foot in that bar. His credit history doesn't show any purchases in the area. As far as we know, that was the first prolonged amount of time he spent there." Emily argued.

"_As far as we know_." Morgan repeated. "What if he was a regular with the working girls or something? You don't pay them with a credit card."

"But that would have shown through regular withdraws from his account. And even if he was a regular, how would the unsub have known he would be in that bar?" Emily countered.

"Look, what we don't know is getting us nowhere. Let's focus on what we do know." Hotch told them, effectively ending the argument.

"What if the unsub knew Whitman from somewhere else?" Reid, who didn't appear to have heard what Hotch said, spoke up suddenly.

"How do you mean?" Rossi asked.

"Look at the first murder. It looks almost as if it doesn't belong with the other two. It was like he was testing the waters; seeing if he could really do it. After that he gains more confidence and starts abducting people and leaving their bodies in public places." Reid spoke almost too quickly for anyone to follow, as he always did when a sudden important thought occurred to him. "What if he suggested the bar to the victim to- to _plant_ him there, so he had a sure target?"

"He's looking for revenge on a father figure and he's been planning it for a while now, then opportunity arises and he takes it." Rossi continued off of Reid's theory.

"He's too young to work with the victim, but maybe he does something else around the building, or works for a service the company hires." Morgan said.

"He looks as though he could be in college, and the dumping times dictate he has somewhere to be in the mornings, possibly classes. The Oscar Wilde quote could mean he's a literature student." Reid wondered aloud.

"He's also evolving quickly. I think we have enough for a profile." Hotch said, standing up and watching as Morgan, Emily, and Rossi followed suit.

Reid, however, remained sitting, pouring over the map once more. "Reid? You coming?" Morgan asked.

"I'm going to see if I can narrow down the list of possible colleges the unsub could be attending." Reid said, not looking up from the map.

"Fine." Hotch nodded and left Reid and JJ in the briefing room while he and the others headed for the elevator.

---

William watched as four members of team came down the stairs, Spencer not included. He was wondering if this might be an appropriate time to go up and talk to his son when he heard someone clear their throat in an attention-getting manner from behind him. Turning around in the chair, he saw the flamboyant woman who had been late to that morning's briefing standing behind him. She had disappeared into another office and he had only seen her emerge at lunch time. "Mr. Reid, could I have a word with you?" She asked quietly.

"I would really like to go up and talk to…" He began.

"It won't take very long. I promise you, he's not going anywhere." She interrupted, leaving no room for argument.

Casting a wistful glance up at the briefing room, William turned his attention back to the Garcia and nodded. "Good. Come with me." She said, once again leaving no room for argument.

She turned on her heel and headed back to the room she'd been in all day and William followed. "I'm Penelope Garcia, I'm a technical analyst and part of your son's team. You can call me Garcia like everyone else." She told him, sitting down and gesturing to a chair across from her.

"You already know me, I suppose. You can call me William, it'll make things less confusing." William sat down in the chair and faced Garcia.

Garcia nodded, much more serious than usual. "Now I need you to listen to me. It may be my official job to provide unlimited knowledge to the team via my babies here," She said, gesturing to the many computer screens. "But I've made it my unofficial job to look after the members of said team and your son has been through quite a lot and I'm not entirely sure I approve of the way you just showed up on him like you did."

William blinked at Garcia's sudden change from serious to fierce as he processed everything she had said. Finally, his mind latched on to a single piece of information. "What do you mean "he's been through a lot"?" He asked her quickly. "And what happened to his leg?"

"The FBI is a dangerous job and your son seems to attract trouble, _but_," Garcia held up her hand to silence William's next string of questions, "It isn't my place to tell you about what's happened to him. He'll tell you on his own time if he wants to."

"Please, at least tell me what happened to his leg. Why does he have that cane?" William asked firmly.

Garcia scrutinized the man before her, the decided his concern seemed genuine enough. "A few months ago, he got shot while on a case. It was a bullet intended for another man, who he pushed out of the way. He's alright and he doesn't even need the cane very often any more, just when it hurts a little more. And don't even bother asking about anything else because my lips are sealed." She insisted.

She waited while William processed this new information, a mixture of worry and relief and perhaps a little pride coming over his face. "He'll be okay?" He asked finally.

"He's been through worse. Now, as I was saying, what right do you think you have just dropping in on our sweet genius like this?"

"What _right_ do I have?" He asked, furrowing his brows. "He's my son. I have every right to see him."

"Considering what he went through because of you, I'm not entirely sure you do." Garcia said coldly.

William gaped at her for a moment. "Will you please tell me what on earth happened to him??" He asked finally.

Garcia's demeanor softened as she saw genuine hurt and concern in William's eyes, reminding her a lot of Reid. "I told you, it's not my place to tell. I think it's nice that you want to talk things out with him. I can't promise you it'll go well- he's very stubborn. But you definitely did not go about it the right way, Sugar."

William sighed and sank back into his chair. "I know. I didn't really think this one through… but I have to talk to him. Now that he knows I exist again, I don't want to let him slip away. I'm so proud of him, you know."

"I know." Garcia said with a small smile. "I saw everything you collected on him on your computer."

William looked up, confused. "How did you…"

"William, I can do just about _anything_ with my babies. I wouldn't suggest crossing me." Garcia told him with an almost imperceptible wink.

Looking at the vibrant woman before him in a new light, a thought crossed William's mind. "Could you find my son's address?" He asked carefully.

"Not a chance." Garcia told him, serious once more. "But I can't stop you from finding a _phone book_ and maybe giving him a call."

Realization donned on the older man as Garcia turned away from him. "Now, I think you'd better go. You're doing more harm than good here anyway."

For the first time all day, William felt inclined to listen to the advice that was given. He stood up and left the office.

A few minutes later, Reid came into the room, sat down in the chair his father had occupied, and stared at Garcia. "Hey, Sweetness, what can I do…"

"Why was my dad in here?" He cut her greeting off.

"I convinced him to leave. You're welcome." Garcia answered simply.

"How?" Reid was surprised; if there was anything he had in common with his father, it was stubbornness.

"Sweetheart, you don't wanna know." Garcia said, grinning cheekily at him.

Reid shook his head. She was probably right. "I need your help in tracking down a college." He told her.

"Don't you have enough PhDs already?" Garcia asked, quirking an eyebrow at the young genius.

"Not for me, I already have a good university." Reid shook his head again. "I need the unsub's school."

"I didn't realize you could major in sadistic torture these days… then again… there is dental school."

Reid grinned a little at Garcia's joke before returning to the matter at hand. "Okay, here's what we're looking for…"

---

A/N: Wow, that ran a LOT longer than I thought it would. I had to split it in two… again. I must be getting rambly in my old age… heh. There will be more to come! Next chapter: the profile happens.

A big thank you to all who have added to this to their favorites and alerts, and a thanks a bunch to Nymphadora-CullenBAU, charming2drew, Stashed Away, and JusticeIsBlind13 for your reviews!


	6. A Profile is Born

Take Your Dad to Work Day

A/N: Hello, everyone! It is time for the profile! It was really supposed to be at the end of the _last_ chapter, but… oh, well. The best laid plans of mice and men or something like that… Enjoy!

---

Chapter 6: A Profile Is Born _-or-_ Breaking and Entering: Better Than a Phone Call

Hotch, Rossi, Morgan and Emily stood before the assembled D.C. police force, ready to present a working profile of the unsub. Hotch stepped forward and got them started. "The unsub, or unknown subject, is male and between the ages of 20 and 25. We know from witness account and videos that he is no taller than 5'7". In order knock out his victims, beat them to death, and drag over 100 pounds of dead weight, he would have to be quite strong."

"He would also need some form of transportation for the bodies. He probably works for a service company, doing repairs or electrical work, so he would be driving a company van." Morgan said.

"At work, and in most of his life, he is quiet and shy, but he has an explosive temper. He might not speak to anyone at all until someone says something that just brushes him the wrong way; then he would become angry, even violent. He would be referred to as passive aggressive. It is all of this pent-up aggression that is causing him to commit these murders." Rossi continued.

"He is looking for revenge on a father figure and he has been planning these murders for a while. He watches his victims and plans for a time when he can knock them out and abduct them." Emily paused as Hotch's phone rang and he excused himself from the group. "He wants them to be as helpless as he feels he was when whatever wrong he perceived happened. The "broken heart" is symbolic of his own feelings."

"Getting revenge is his fantasy and he has been thinking about it for so long that reality will never measure up to what he's built up in his head. He'll keep striving for that perfect kill until we bring him down. We're also fairly certain that he attends the community college near the neighborhood where the murders have been occuring." Hotch said, having returned to the group.

"So why is he leaving his victims out in the open?" One of the officers spoke up.

"It's a cry for attention. The note, the heart, leaving them in front of cameras, these all say that the unsub is insecure and he craves attention. He wants people to notice that he is finally fulfilling his fondest dreams." Rossi told them.

The precinct was silent as everyone digested this particular gruesome bit of information. "If there are no further questions…" Hotch left the statement hanging in the air as a question of its own. "Thank you for your cooperation. Tomorrow we will be holding a press conference and opening tip lines. Hopefully that will bring someone forward."

The police took his statement as a sign that the briefing was over and disbanded quickly as the team exchanged a few words with Detective Hart before they, too, left.

---

Reid snapped his phone shut after telling Hotch about the college and settled back in his seat with a sigh. JJ sat across the round table from him, working on her press release. He rubbed his knee gingerly; the nagging pain had been growing worse throughout the day, but he had refused to take anything for it or acknowledge it in any way. He knew it was stupid to think that the pain would go away if he ignored it, but he wasn't in the mood to be injured today. However, he didn't realize just _how_ stupid he was being until he stood up to get a cup of coffee.

With a cry of pain, he fell back into his chair, clutching his knee. "Damn it!" He pounded his fist on the table as he finally allowed the irritation he had been feeling over various things all day manifest itself.

He looked up and found the JJ was staring at him, looking rather shocked. Suddenly, the anger drained out of hem and was replaced by shame. He hated losing his temper- especially in front of people. "Sorry- I… just… sorry." He mumbled, looking down at the table.

"Bad day?" JJ asked quietly.

Reid let out a bitter laugh, still refusing to look up at her. "I can honestly say I've had better days. I think this one ranks just above the day I actually got shot."

JJ smiled a little at his comment; sarcasm never seemed like Reid, but he pulled it off when he was in a bad mood. "I'm sure he didn't mean to upset you." She said, becoming more serious.

"Well, I don't want to be upset! But… the way he just showed up caught me off guard. My first instinct was anger and now I just can't get it out of my head. Did he think just showing up here was a good idea after the last time I saw him?" Reid asked, finally looking up at JJ.

"Why _did_ he come here, anyway?"

"He said he wanted to clear the air and…" Reid trailed off, looking down again.

"And…" JJ prompted him gently to continue after a few moments.

"To get to know me." Reid finished.

"You're not going to hear him out?" She asked quietly.

"Is there really a good reason to do so?"

"You… you'll know why he left…"

"I already know. I don't have any other reason to listen to him."

"Well, it's up to you." JJ said finally looking down at her papers.

Reid's head snapped up as he stared at JJ for a moment before asking his question. "You think I should listen to him?" He asked, so quietly she almost didn't hear.

"What I think isn't important. What you think is what's important… it usually is." JJ finished with a small smile.

"What you think _is_ important. You're my friend and… I'd like to have your opinion…" Reid blushed a little.

JJ looked at the man before her. For all his genius, there were some things he couldn't figure out on his own, things he had little experience with. Family was one of them, and she was always honored to be one of his consultants on the matter. "I think… it couldn't hurt to listen to him. After this case is over, maybe. It won't cost you anything more than some time and if you don't like what he has to say, you can tell him to go." She said after a minute.

He seemed to be thinking about her words as he leaned forward on the table and propped his head up in his hand. "And no matter what you decide to do, you know we'll all be behind you, right?" JJ asked quietly after another minute.

Reid looked up at her, surprised by her claim. After a moment, he offered her a small, but genuine, smile. "I know."

At that moment the rest of the team returned, each settling around the round table once more. "Alright, I think that's all we'll be able to do for today. We've made real progress, I want you all to go home and get some rest." Hotch told them.

Everyone began milling around the room, gathering papers and folders and other things which had been deposited around the room during the day and headed down to their desks for their coats and bags. JJ mentioned something about having the press release ready in the morning and everyone bid each other farewell and left the building, one by one.

---

Reid was, not for the first time, incredibly glad his apartment was only on the second floor. He couldn't imagine having to climb the stairs up much higher than he already had, considering his knee protested with every step he took. He extracted his key from his pocket and pushed it into the lock. He frowned as he turned it, realizing the door was already unlocked.

His heart began to pump faster as he drew his gun and threw open the door. There was no one in the hall, so he limped quietly towards the first room on his left, his living room. He pointed the weapon at the man standing in the middle of the room with a call of "FBI, put your hands up and turn around!"

The man did so quickly, and then caught a good look at Reid. "Geez, Spencer, you gave me a heart attack!"

Reid lowered his gun and stared at the man who, for the second time that day, had shown up unexpectedly where he shouldn't have. "Dad?"

---

A/N: Dun dun DUN! Heh, sorry, couldn't resist. Hope you enjoyed! Only two chapters left, then the epilogue! Review, if you want…

Thank you very much to everyone who has added this to their favorites and alerts, and thank you-thank you to Nymphadora-CullenBAU, TwilightSong, hpenchantress, JusticeIsBlind13, charming2drew, and angeleyes46 for your marvelous reviews! You all make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside… which is an odd thing to say, but the sentiment is there, anyway.


	7. The Big Reveal

Take Your Dad to Work Day

A/N: Hullo, again! It is time for a lesser-seen side of Reid: Cranky Reid. Yes… I kinda had fun with it, so I apologize if I went over-board. Heh. Enjoy!...?

---

Chapter 7: The Big Reveal _-or-_ Shouting Makes Everything Better

"What are you doing here? How did you get in here?" Reid asked, holstering his weapon.

William looked relieved as he put his arms down. "I know you work for the FBI, but knowing it and seeing you point a loaded gun at me is something else."

"What are you doing here?" Reid asked more forcefully.

"I didn't think I would get the chance to talk to you at work, so I looked you up. You keep a key above the door, just like at home." William explained.

Reid swore under his breath; he'd been meaning to take that key down since Morgan had found it some time ago. As his adrenaline rush began to fade, the pain in his leg returned with a vengeance. He quickly braced himself against the door frame and turned his glare back on William. For his part, William looked worried that his son was leaning flush against the doorway for support. "Where's your cane?" He asked quickly.

"I left it at the door because I thought someone was robbing my apartment."

William chose to ignore the second half of Reid's comment and went to retrieve his son's belongings from the hallway. He shut the door, picked up the forgotten cane and messenger bag, and walked back over to Reid. Snatching up the proffered items, Reid walked over to the couch and deposited his bag before turning back to glare at his father. "I'm sorry I just showed up here, but I didn't think I'd get to do what I need to do any other way." William apologized.

"And what, exactly, is it you need to do?" Reid asked coldly.

"There are things that need to be said…"

"Well, why don't you just write them down and leave them for me to read later?"

"I shouldn't have done that, I know, but…" William began quietly.

"_Then why did you?"_ Reid interrupted fiercely.

"I couldn't… handle… I just couldn't…" William struggled to find the correct words.

"Just say it: You resented us! Mom was crazy and I was a _freak_ and we were dragging you down!"

"Don't put words in my mouth!" William was beginning to lose his temper as well. "It wasn't like that!"

"Then how was it??"

"You have no idea! I watched the woman I loved descend into madness! And _you_… you were so much smarter than I was! There was nothing I could do for you that you couldn't do for yourself! You were so much better at taking care for the two of you than I ever was. What are you supposed to do when you 10-year-old son can take care of your sick wife better than you can?"

"You're supposed to stay by them no matter what!"

"You were so smart! I thought- I thought you could handle it…"

"It doesn't matter how smart I was, I was a child!"

"I- I…" William scrambled for an argument.

"I loved her too." Reid said more quietly. "She's my mother and I had to watch her lose her sanity knowing that could be me one day."

William said nothing, so Reid continued. Everything he had ever wanted to say to his father was surfacing and he wasn't about to lose the chance. "I spent eight years worrying that someone would catch on and take me away from the last person on Earth who cared about me. When one of us was hurt, I was afraid to go to the emergency room because someone might separate us. I had to take care of _everything._ I made decisions no one should have to make, let alone someone my age! Do you know what it's like to have to take your mother to the emergency room because she tried to kill herself?? Or what it's like to be beaten repeatedly by people five years older than you? Do you… _know_ what I… what _we_ went through without you there?" He was quickly running out of steam by now.

William watched his son with a morbid fascination, unable to look away. After a few more minutes of ranting, Reid finally fell silent, taking a deep breath and simply staring at William. Then, he spoke again, surprising even himself. "I know you have your reasons for leaving but you can't expect me to get over it like _that_." Reid snapped his fingers allowing the room to fall into silence once more.

After a minute, the older man broke the silence. "I don't. I don't know. I suppose I really have no idea. But… my reasons seemed… valid at the time. I'm sorry." The older man hung his head in shame, continuing his speech. "She… wasn't the only person who cared about you. I loved you both, I did. And I still do. And… I'm so proud of you… what you've done…" William spoke quietly, not meeting his son's eyes.

Reid slumped down on the couch. His anger was gone now and he was left with nothing but exhaustion. "Just- go." He said finally.

"Okay, son, okay. I- here's the address where I'm staying and my number… just in case." William placed a slip of paper on the coffee table in front of Reid before he left without another word.

Reid sighed and glared down at the address. After a moment he laid down on the couch. This truly was a mess… he didn't even feel angry anymore. Perhaps shouting at his father was something he had needed to do. But with the anger gone, what was left? Could he really trust William again? It would have been so much easier if he could have stayed angry…

Sighing again, Reid shut his eyes and tried to focus on better things. Happier times before the stress had gotten to William. With those thoughts in mind, Reid drifted off to sleep.

---

JJ stood up in front of the mass of ravenous reporters, wrapping up the press conference. "So, if anyone has _any_ information regarding this suspect, please do not hesitate to call the FBI tip line. Thank you." She stepped away from the podium, down off the platform, and walked back into the FBI building, which the conference had been held in front of.

She met with Hotch just inside the doors. "How was it?"

"It looked good." He told her with a nod.

"All we do now is wait." JJ said, heading for the elevators.

"And keep working the profile." Hotch replied, following her.

"And work the profile." JJ nodded.

---

Almost everyone had already arrived and was sitting around the round table room. JJ and Rossi were nursing cups of coffee as Emily poured over witness statements and case files. Hotch was in his office, gathering some files he had been looking at earlier that morning. Morgan had arrived only minutes ago and was still situating himself as Reid walked in on his own two legs. "Hey, Spence, feeling better?" JJ greeted him warmly.

"Ah- I think I am, yeah." Reid gave her a small smile.

Hotch came back into the room carrying an armful of folders. "Good, everyone's here." He said, putting the files down on the table. "Alright, what's our next step?"

Before anyone could speak, a young woman poked her head into the room. "Agent Jareau? There's a call." She addressed JJ.

JJ excused herself and left with the young agent. "We should start showing that picture around the community college, telling people the profile." Rossi said, calling everyone's attention back.

"That's a good idea. Reid, Morgan, why don't you go and do that while…" Hotch began.

"Don't bother, I think we've got him." JJ said, running back up from the bullpen. "A girl called the tip line saying she had a class with someone who fits the profile to a tee."

"What's the name?" Rossi asked, leaning forward.

"Daniel Fletcher. We can get Garcia to check him out." JJ told them, heading back down for the tech's office.

The others followed quickly, not quite used to just going and asking Garcia for info rather than calling her.

"Well, hello, my friends, to what do I owe this pleasurable mass visit?" Garcia said, watching as six other people piled into her small office.

"Garcia we need you to look up Daniel Fletcher." Hotch told her.

"Why, is he cute?" Garcia asked, turning to her computers and tapping furiously on the keys.

"He might be our unsub." Reid said.

"Oh," Garcia said after a moment. "Ew."

Morgan, Emily, and JJ tried to hide their smiles as Garcia searched. "And Bingo is our sicko. Or Daniel, I guess, but that's not the point…" She said, turning back to the group.

"Garcia…" Hotch brought her back on topic.

"Right, the point is, I have found Daniel Fletcher. He is 20 years old, current residence is a house conveniently close to all our crime scenes. In fact, that's been his residence since he was about 8."

"That would explain his familiarity with the area." Emily pointed out.

"He works for a small repair company which I'm betting works for victim number one's company."

"The transportation and access to Marcus Whitman." Morgan said.

"His mother died exactly one week before the killings started…"

"The stressor." Rossi interrupted.

"Any signs of abuse, Garcia? He may be going after his father soon, rather than substitutes. Where is his father?" Hotch asked quickly.

"If you would all stop interrupting me, I will get to it!" Garcia insisted, waving her hands in the air and bringing them back down to the keyboard. "There were no signs of abuse and his father is… dead. He died 10 years ago… in fact the date of his death is eerily close to his wife's."

"That's what the broken heart means," Reid said suddenly. "He feels his father abandoned him when he was helpless and broke his heart, figuratively."

"He's a real literal guy, then, huh?" Garcia muttered.

"Garcia, what's his address?" Hotch asked.

"I've got it, but I wouldn't bother with his house. His credit history shows he's been staying at a hotel."

"Which hotel?"

"The… Dayton Hotel."

Reid paled visibly, turning an owlish stare on Garcia. "_Which_ hotel?" He asked quietly.

"The Dayton. Why, do you… what's wrong?" Garcia looked concerned as she turned to face the young profiler. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"That's the hotel my father is staying at."

---

William Reid sat on the end of the hotel bed, wondering what to do. Even if Spencer didn't want to talk to him, he _was_ in D.C…. he might as well see some sights while he was here. But what if Spencer tried to call while he was out? No closer to making a decision, William lay back on the bed spread and sighed. Suddenly, a thump and a shout of anger jarred him from his contemplative silence. It seemed to have come from one room over.

Before he knew what he was doing, he had opened his door and walked over to the next room. The door was slightly ajar, so he knocked gently and called into the room. "Is everything alright in there?"

The door swung open further to reveal a young man sitting on the bed, his head in his hands, breathing heavily. "Are- are you okay?" William asked quietly.

The young man looked up at him suddenly, scrutinizing him with wide, dark brown eyes, reminding him a little of Spencer. "I- I'm not sure." The young man said finally.

"What's wrong?"

"I- my father… he left me and I'm just…" The young man stuttered.

"I- I'm sorry to hear that… what's your name?" William inched closer into the room.

"Daniel… Daniel Fletcher."

"I'm William Reid."

They sat in awkward silence before William spoke once more, not entirely sure why he felt the need to be open with Daniel. "You know, I have a son."

"Hm?"

"Yeah… And I'm so proud of him. Dr. Spencer Reid. He works for the FBI."

"And… I bet you'd never do anything to hurt him, would you?" Daniel asked quietly, putting his head back in his hands.

"Actually… I… did. When he was young. I left him when I should have stuck by him… I abandoned him…" William said quietly.

Daniel's head snapped up, his eyes locking onto William. "Oh, really?"

---

A/N: Oh, noes! Look out, William! Heh, I hope you're all enjoying! Just one chapter left, then the epilogue, then we're done… wow. Oh, by the way, I mentioned the key above Reid's door in the first Criminal Minds story I wrote called "More Accurately Put, Evil Incarnate." It's not important though. Review if you'd like! Thanks!

Thank you to everyone who has added this to their alerts and favorites and thanks a bunch to charming2drew, Nymphadora-CullenBAU, MagnusSpark, Stashed Away, hpenchantress, JusticeIsBlind13, and dangerousdolphin for your wonderful reviews. You guys make me smile! :)


	8. The Reids Just Can't Stay Out of Trouble

Take Your Dad to Work Day

A/N: I would like to apologize for the three-week hiatus! Shortly after posting the last chapter, my computer took ill and has been in the shop ever since. I only got it back today. Thank you so much to anyone who was patient enough to wait for this and I hope it's worth the wait! Without further ado: The last chapter! The epilogue will come tomorrow.

---

Chapter 8: The Reids Just Can't Seem to Stay Out of Trouble

---

Reid fidgeted in his seat, staring ahead as Hotch drove. "Reid, are you going to be able to do this?" Hotch asked, glancing over at his subordinate and back at the road.

"I'll be fine." Reid immediately stilled himself.

Hotch threw another glance at the young genius before looking back at the road. "It's alright if you decide to sit this one out." Hotch told him.

"I know, but I don't want to… I can't. I'll be fine, really."

Hotch nodded finally and they drove on in silence.

When they reached the hotel, Hotch, Reid, and Morgan approached the front desk, flashing their badges and demanding the room number of Daniel Fletcher. "He- he's in room 62…" The terrified you woman behind the desk said, looking from them to the computer and back again.

Reid's eyes grew wide and he swore under his breath. Morgan whirled around to look at him. "Don't tell me…"

"Room 60. Right next door." Reid confirmed, turning to go back outside with the rest of the team and the SWAT members.

"Reid…" Hotch caught the young doctor's arm, forcing him to turn back and look at him.

"Hotch, I'll stay at the back, I'll stay out of the way, but- _please._"

It was a common belief amongst the members of the BAU that Hotch could look straight through your soul if he wanted to, and as Reid felt those eyes on him, he stood his ground. Finally, Hotch spoke again. "Stay at the back, do exactly as you're told." He said, leaving no room for argument.

Reid only nodded gratefully and followed his boss out. Morgan was close behind, knowing his young friend would find some way to get into trouble no matter what Hotch did to stop it.

They met up with Emily and Rossi outside, donned Kevlar vests, and began discussing strategy as they headed back into the hotel. "Morgan, you and I will take point. Rossi and Prentiss, go around back, cover any possible escape routes. Reid, I want you behind Morgan and I." Hotch dictated, sending everyone into position.

Minutes later, Hotch and Morgan were creeping quickly down the hallway, followed closely by Reid and part of the SWAT team. They took up positions on either side of the door to room 62, Reid on Hotch's side and the other men spreading out through the hall. With a quick nod from Hotch, Morgan pounded on the door. "Daniel Fletcher, this is the FBI. Open up." He shouted through the door.

When no answer came through the door, Morgan kicked it in and headed into the room followed closely by Hotch and then Reid. What they saw stopped them cold. Daniel Fletcher stood behind William Reid, holding knife to the latter's throat. "Don't move! I'll kill him! He deserves to die!" Daniel shouted.

"Daniel, don't do anything you'll regret. This doesn't have to end badly." Hotch told him, the barrel of his gun pointed squarely at the young man.

"NO! He should die! Do you know what he did??"

"Whatever he did, you don't have to kill him." Hotch said calmly.

"He abandoned his son! Like my father abandoned me! He just left him! He needs to pay!" Daniel raved.

William, who had remained silent thus far, suddenly spoke in a strained, quiet voice. "Spencer, I'm sorry."

The bottom dropped out of all three agent's stomachs. "Spencer?? Your son? You- you said he worked for the FBI…" Daniel said quietly.

Crazed eyes flicked from face to face in the room as both Hotch and Morgan tried to place themselves strategically in front of Reid. It was too late however, as Daniel recognized him. "_You_! You're Spencer, aren't you?" Daniel shouted accusatorily.

Before Hotch could respond, Reid spoke up. "Yes, Daniel, I'm Spencer." His voice was calm, but there was an almost undetectable hint of fear in it.

"You… He abandoned you. I'm doing you a favor!"

"No, no you're not. He came back, he wants to make amends." Reid spoke slowly.

"No! He can't be trusted! Just like _my_ father! C-can't be trusted!"

"Daniel, your father didn't leave you, he died." Reid pointed out quietly.

"No…"

"Yes, you need to remember," Reid lowered his weapon and was moving slowly closer. "He didn't want to leave you."

"He- no, he left me!"

"He didn't have a choice, Daniel, he was killed. He didn't want to leave you." Reid had moved to the front of the group and was edging towards Daniel.

"_You can't possibly know that!_" Daniel backed up quickly, pulling the knife closer to William's neck.

"You're right. I don't know that. But, Daniel…" Reid said slowly, his mind switching gears, "He is _my_ father."

"S-so??" Daniel demanded.

"You got revenge on three men already. This is _my_ father… let me do it." Reid said, nearly causing William's eyes to bulge out of their sockets.

"What?" Daniel loosened his grip slightly, staring at Reid in confusion.

"I'm saying, you've had all the fun so far, but this should be something I get to do…"

"But you said-!"

"I realized you're right. He keeps going on about me like he has any reason to be proud," Reid injected some venom into his voice. "I'll bet he told you I was a genius didn't he? Well, I know logic when I hear it. You're right. So let me do it."

Daniel scrutinized Reid, who did his best to look indifferent. Finally, he loosened his grip completely on William and Reid seized the opportunity. He grabbed his father's arm in one hand and pulled him to the side, while using the other hand to snatch the knife out of Daniel's lax grip. Before Daniel knew what was happening, Morgan had stepped forward and cuffed his hands behind his back. "But why?" He asked, turning his wide, dark eyes on Reid. "After what he did, why do you still protect him??"

Reid opened his mouth to reply that it was his job and was surprised when all that came out was, "He's still my father."

---

William sat on the edge of the ambulance floor, his legs hanging off the edge, waiting to be cleared by the paramedic. He sat up straighter when he saw Reid walking over. "Spencer…"

"Hey, how're you- how're you doing?" Reid asked quietly.

"Considering I just got myself taken hostage? I'm pretty good. And impressed as hell. That was amazing, Spencer."

"It's my job, Dad." Reid sat down next William.

"And you're good at it. You're great!"

"It's not just me, it's the whole team. They're all amazing too."

"I'm sure they are, but you- _you_ talked that kid down. _You_ saved my life back there. Thank you."

Reid wasn't sure what to say to that, so he simply didn't say anything. "I guess this kind of puts a damper on the plans I had when I flew down here." William said finally.

"What plans were those?" Reid asked, trying not to sound suspicious.

"I guess I had this idea about going to dinner and you could tell me all about the life you lead. But…"

"Maybe. I've got to get back to the office, but…" Reid stood up and began to walk away.

"Do you need my cell number or…" William started to get up.

Reid turned around as he continued walking away. "I've got it." He said, tapping the side of his head and offering William a small smile.

William smiled in return. "Of course you do."

---

Reid sat, hunched over his desk, doing his best to make his paperwork legible. Everyone else had gone home, but he knew if he stopped working, he would start thinking about today, and he simply wasn't ready to. "I heard you did good today." A voice came from behind Reid, making him jump.

_Almost _everyone had gone home_._ "Rossi… you scared me."

"Still a little high strung from the last couple of days?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Rossi wandered over to Morgan's desk and sat down in the vacant chair. "Your family seems to have a knack for getting into trouble." He said finally.

Reid looked up at him, surprised. "What?"

"Your mother walked in on a murder, you've contracted anthrax and been shot in just the time I've known you, and your father was just held hostage. I'd say that's an interesting track record."

Reid stared at Rossi for a moment before he chuckled slightly. Before he knew it, he was laughing harder than he could remember doing in a long time. Even Rossi laughed a little. "Ah," Reid managed to regain control of himself after a minute. "I'm sorry, it just… struck me as funny for some reason."

"Maybe you just needed an excuse to laugh."

"Maybe…"

The two profilers sat in amiable silence before Rossi spoke again. "Are you going to see him again? Before he goes back to Vegas?"

For a moment, Reid was struck with the impression that they were talking about a date, rather than his father, which was almost enough to start him laughing again. "I don't know. I want to, but…"

"You don't want to trust him."

"No. Well- No, I do. I want to trust him, but I'm worried that I can't. And… I was angry for so long, I can't remember feeling anything but anger towards him. What if there can't be anything else?" Reid attempted to explain his conflicting thoughts.

Rossi shook his head. "I can't answer that for you. Not that this philosophy has always served you well, but… sometimes it's better to take a chance. Sometimes you're better for it." The older profiler told him.

"JJ said I should just hear him out and if I don't like what he has to say, I can just tell him to go."

"Whatever you decide, the team'll be there, if you need us." Rossi reminded him.

"JJ said that too."

"She's a smart woman. I would listen to her." Rossi got up and headed back to his office.

"Yeah… maybe I should." Reid leaned back in his seat, feeling more at ease than he had in quite a while.

Maybe this was something he could work out after all.

---

_In some families, "please" is described as the magic word. In our house, however, it was "sorry."_

_~Margaret Lawrence_

---

A/N: Wow! I can't believe it! Just the epilogue left!! Stay tuned…

A big thank you to everyone who has added this to their favorites and alerts and thank you to hpenchantress, JusticeIsBlind13, MagnusSpark, harrietamidala1691, Nymphadora-CullenBAU, charming2drew, xXDemonic-AngelicXx, and Stashed Away for your wonderful reviews!


	9. Epilogue

Take Your Dad to Work Day

A/N: Here it is, everyone; the epilogue! I hope you've all enjoyed the ride and enjoy this final installment… you even get bonus quotes

---

_Family quarrels are bitter things. They don't go by any rules. They're not like aches or wounds; they're more like splits in the skin that won't heal because there isn't enough material._

_~F. Scott Fitzgerald_

---

"Maria's Bistro" was a quaint, out-of-the-way restaurant, a place for families, couples, singles, friends, and whoever else wanted some good food. It was a well-lit, inviting place that served the best Italian food Spencer Reid had ever come across, of every place he had eaten at during his travels on the job. In fact, it was his favorite restaurant, which is why he couldn't figure out why he was having so much trouble getting out of his old Volvo and going in.

The case had been wrapped up some days ago; the death of Daniel Fletcher's mother had finally sent him over the edge and on a killing spree. At his house in the slums of D.C., they found where he had murdered two of his three victims. It was no wonder he had been staying in a hotel, they certainly hadn't wanted to be in that house either. Everyone agreed this was one of the fastest cases they had worked in quite a while. Paper work had been filled out, confessions had been made, evidence had been logged, and now the only thing to do was catch up on more paper work and consult on some cases.

And, of course, there was the matter of William Reid. No one had spoken to Reid about it other than to congratulate him on talking down the unsub. Now his father was due to return to Vegas tomorrow evening and Reid had called him earlier that day and invited him to dinner. William had excitedly agreed and here they were; William was presumably waiting inside while Reid had been sitting outside for the last 10 minutes. Finally, after dismissing the idea of standing his father up as hypocritical, Reid got out of the car and went inside.

The maitre d' smiled warmly at him, recognizing him as a regular. "Table for one, Dr. Reid?"

"An, no, actually, I'm here to meet someone." Reid glanced around the room and spotted his father at a table near the back. "Over there."

The young woman followed his line of sight and smiled again. The young doctor was often there alone and it was nice to see him have a dining partner. "I'd offer you a menu, but I'm sure you've got it memorized," She chuckled softly. "So you can just go on back."

Reid offered her a small smile and slowly wove his way around other patrons and towards his father.

William looked up as Reid approached the table. "Spencer, how are you?"

"Um… good. You?"

"Better. Glad you're here."

Reid had been hovering behind his chair until this point, and after a moment's more hesitation, he sat down. If William noticed, he didn't say anything. "The breadsticks are great." William said after a minute, feeling rather stupid for doing so.

"Yeah, the food here in general is good. I would say it's authentic, but I have nothing to base that assertion on."

They sat in awkward silence for another minute or so before a server came to their rescue. "What can I get you two?"

Reid spoke up first as William glanced over the menu again. "The lasagna would be good, I think."

The waiter nodded and turned expectantly to the older man. William set the menu down and shook his head. "I have no idea. Spencer, what do you suggest?"

Reid looked up, taken aback. "I- I don't know what you like to eat." He muttered.

"I'll try anything."

Reid shook his head before turning to the server. "Two orders of lasagna."

"Alright, I'll be back with your dinner soon." He smiled and left the father and son alone again.

After a few minutes, William broke the silence. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put you on the spot, I just…"

"It's fine." Reid spoke quickly.

Determined not to spend the evening in awkward silence, William tried again. "Do you come here a lot?"

"Yeah." Reid smiled a little. "I like to cook, but I don't always feel up to it after work."

"You like to cook?" William asked with genuine interest.

Reid shrugged. "I learned that I was pretty good at it after…" Reid was silent for a moment as he watched the sadness flash across his father's eyes and William did the same for him. "Well, Mom wasn't, uh, up to cooking, so I cooked all our meals. I mean, it's just chemistry. Certain ingredients act as catalysts or binding agents and… you don't find this interesting, sorry."

William's eyes widened in shock; he had been watching Reid speak with a strange expression which his son had mistaken for boredom. "No, I do! I mean, I'm sure you're about to say a lot of stuff I won't understand, but I'd love to hear you talk about anything you'd like. I- we used to have some good conversations, you and I."

Reid watched William carefully and then launched into an explanation about the likeness of cooking and chemistry. True to his word, William listened, a faint smile on his face though he really wasn't entirely sure what his son was talking about. The one-sided conversation continued for a little while more before Reid wound down. "And, anyway, it can be kind of… therapeutic, in a way. At least, that's what Gideon thought." Suddenly, Reid's mouth snapped shut as he realized what he had said.

"Who's Gideon?" William asked, wary of his son's reaction.

"He… he a member of the original BAU; one of the "founding fathers" I you could say. Jason Gideon. He was the one that kind of… discovered me, I guess. I went to seminar he gave on profiling and he came over to talk to me afterwards. I was about 16 then and I had just finished my second doctorate. He started giving me advice and little nudges in the right direction and before I knew it, I had my third doctorate and I was training to be a field agent and then I was brought into the BAU." Reid's voice had grown quieter. "He gave me advice about everything, showed me the ropes, helped me in… a lot of ways."

William watched his son and wondered if he should have left the subject alone. "He didn't… wasn't, er…"

"No, he's still alive. As far as I know. But, something terrible happened and he just couldn't handle the stress of the job anymore. He just- up and left."

William ducked his head. That sounded awfully familiar… Suddenly, he met his son's eyes again and tried to bring the conversation around to something less depressing. "I can imagine that job would get to you after a while. But, still, it must be exciting… traveling all over the country and helping to catch some very dangerous criminals."

"I don't know about exciting… it can be difficult, frustrating, even terrifying sometimes, but it's all worth it." Reid looked over and realized that perhaps William had been trying to be conversational, so he switched tactics. "But… excitement is defined as the state of being roused into action, or of having increased action, impulsion, and/or agitation, so, by that definition I guess you could definitely say it's exciting."

William smiled a little at his son's familiar recitation of facts. It was like coming home… When the food arrived, the two men dug in, appreciative of something to do. "So… are you seeing anyone, Spencer?" William asked, trying to sound casual.

Reid coughed slightly on a bite of lasagna and blushed. "Um… sort of."

"How do you "sort of" see someone?" William asked carefully.

"Well, she lives in Georgia, so…"

"Ah, did you meet her while out on the job?"

"Actually, that's exactly why I met her. She was a bartender at a club…"

"You go clubbing?" William fought the urge to raise an eyebrow at his son.

"Uh, no, not a lot, but I'll go with the team sometimes… but, anyway…" Reid began to explain how he had met his "sort of" girlfriend.

William continued asking simple, nonchalant questions and it wasn't long before he had the whole story out of his son. Reid realized what had happened and thought wryly that his father would have been good in an interrogation room.

Conversation moved from topic to topic, both men trying to keep it light. Tonight was about not biting each other's heads off, and it seemed to be going well thus far. Finally, after a cup of coffee each, Reid glanced at his watch. "Wow. I really have to get going. I still have to go to work in the morning."

William nodded and decided it was now or never. "Spencer, there's something I've been wanting to ask you about…"

Reid looked up, wondering what could have made William turn serious suddenly. "What is it?"

"The computer tech… Garcia, she told me that you'd been shot, which is why you had the cane a couple days ago…"

"I'm fine, really. It was a clean shot, the healing process has just been… arduous. Sometimes it still hurts, but I hardly need the cane anymore."

"That's great. But… she also said that… other things had happened to you. Bad things…"

Reid's face darkened. "Not here." He said simply. "Not now."

William nodded, not wanting to face the anger that he was sure to receive for over-stepping his bounds. "I- some other time, maybe… but I'm not ready to tell you about that yet." Reid said.

William nodded again, this time he smiled a little. "Some other time, maybe." He agreed.

---

Outside the restaurant, Spencer and William Reid turned to face each other. "It- it was really great to see you… to be able to talk to you. Maybe we could do this again." William offered.

Reid nodded. "I think that would be… pretty good, actually." He agreed.

After a pause, William put out his hand and Reid shook it. It was like an odd, unspoken agreement; things were going to get better. And then the moment was over and William was heading back to his rental car, waving. "Good bye, Spencer." He called before he got in and drove off.

Reid fought the strong urge to shout after him, insisting that he not leave him again. He knew it was irrational. He shook the feeling off and headed to his own car. Yes, things were far from perfect; a true bond was far in the distance. Perhaps they would never get there. But, if only for that night, Reid liked the feeling that it was tangible. That things were going to get better.

---

_Oh, my friend, it's not what they take away from you that counts. It's what you do with what you have left._

_~Hubert Humphrey_

---

A/N: And that's it! We're done! I have immensely enjoyed writing this. I know it may not be the best out there and there were probably a few plot holes, or maybe it moved too quickly, or whatever. I know there's always room for improvement, but I don't mind telling you that I'm proud of what I accomplished: a semi-coherent case-fic!

Big thanks to charming2drew, Nymphadora-CullenBAU, slery, xXDemonic-AngelicXx, FoxPhile, nokkibind, The wife of Dr. Spencer Reid, FotoDi, Stashed Away, JusticeIsBlind13, TwilightSong, hpenchantress, ageleyes46, MagnusSpark, dangerousdolphin, and harrietamidala1691. Your reviews throughout the course of this story were encouraging, thought-provoking, and spectacular.

I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Thank you so much.


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